Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-11-12
INTERVIEWED.
A Railroad Mans Opinion OF North
ern Montana and its Chief
Town.

Town.
Learning that D. r. McGinnis, travelling
passenger agent of the Saint Paul, Mime
apoIis & Manitoba railway, has been ex-
arniaing the resources of the country in
the vicinity OF Great Falls, We corraled
the gentleman last evening at the Park
hotel with the following result:
What do you think of the general char
acter of the country along your new line
of road between Fort Buford and Great
Pals!
1.-THE land is of a very superior quality.
Better by far than that along any other
transcontinental route. The Milk river
traverses a grand agricultural valley andis
well timbered throughout"
What is your opinion of Great Falls and
its future prospects?
ut is a city of destiny Nature has
said that here at the junction of the Sun
with the Missouri river is one of the points
to which a large portion of northern Mon
tand is. naturally tributary. 1t only re-
mains for energy and capital to utilize
these wonderful natural advantages.
When the railroad now being built brings
the coal, the iron, the limestone from
Sand Coulee and the ores Or the metals
from the rich Neihart, Barker, Yoge and
other districts to the banks of the Missouri
at the great cataracts, to be reduced from
their native state, I predict a still more
rapid growth for your live, bustling city"
What do yeu think of the farming pros
poets of the country?
'sThey are simply beyond calculation.
With the possibility Of your soil to pro-
duce crops without irrigation now fully
demonstrated, / predict that here will be
the great wheat belt of the country. Your
bench lands ON the east and the great rich
prairies of the Marias and Teton are ca
pable of becoming great fields of waving
grain, dotted by the comfortable homes of
8 dense population, but your climatic
and other conditions are such that stock
raising must always be one of your chief
resources
What in your opinion are the chief
things needed to develop our country?
"An influx of capital to develop the
wonderful wealth-mineral and agricul-
turai-which nature has stored up through
the lapse of ages, and a larger population
to give increased values to real estate.
The Saint Paul, Minneapolis & Man
itoba railroad is fully alive to the import
ance of Montana and without negieeting
other sections penetrated by its lines, viii
do everything in its power to promote its
interests. AS a part of its policy in this
regard, c. Fl. Warren, its general passen.
ger agent, has now n press a publication
for general distribution through the east,
giving full information about Montana
its soil, its climate, and its agricultural
and mining interests"
What do you think of the appearance of
Great Falls?
well, the location is one of great natu
raj beauty, and I can see that your citizens
are an enterprising, wide-awake lot. |
am surprised at the size and solidity OF
your large business blocks, and pleased to
observe the neatness in which the streets
are kept. No balloon taxpayer shacks
are to be seen, as in many new western
towns"
Mr.. McGinnis leaves this afternoon with
II. D. Burghardt to inspect and report ON
the Neihart and Barker mining districts.